What makes St Mary's Calne special?

At St Mary’s, girls aim high. We encourage ambition, firmly rooted in an understanding of community and the good of others. Above all, we want the girls to learn how to enjoy life and to make the most of their undoubted potential.

As Headmistress, I am a passionate advocate for the power of an all girls' education. Girls flourish in an all-girls environment. Having taught in both co-ed and girls’ schools, I know that there is a striking quality to the atmosphere, character, and climate of a girls’ school. The learning community that emerges is characterised by a profound sense of responsibility for learning, a special rapport between and among the teacher and the pupils, a spirit of co-learning, with both the teacher and the pupils feeling free to ask questions, make and learn from mistakes and take risks.

In a report written by Richard Holmgren, Vice President for Information Services and Assessment, Allegheny College, published by the NCGS in 2014, the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE), which measures the engagement of high school students with more than 400,000 students in over 40 states, concluded that girls attending all-girls' schools compared to their female peers at co-educational schools:

• have higher aspirations and greater motivation

• are challenged to achieve more

• are more actively engaged in the learning process

• are engaged in activities preparing them for the world outside of school

The annual 2016 ISC Census has highlighted some findings which also underpin the value of choosing an independent school above a state school, and these are certainly backed up by the academic results which we see at St Mary's Calne. Independent schooling accounts for 0.64 of a GCSE grade increase (this allows for prior ability, socio-economic status and gender). This is the difference between A/B or an A/A* grade. The research shows that attending an independent school in England is associated with the equivalent of two additional years of schooling by the age of 16.

Of course, the best way to discover what makes St Mary's special is to visit and to meet the girls themselves and see the school at first hand, and I would encourage you to do this. I look forward to meeting you.